In respiratory care environments, throughout the years it has been found to be advantageous to provide various types of respiratory exercisers such as spirometer and lung exercisers to improve respiratory difficulties with various types of patients. Many different types of devices and systems have been developed, some less portable and more costly and others more inexpensive and more readily transportable to different locations. Additionally, with the advent of disposability various types of disposable, portable and inexpensive respirators have been introduced to the market.
Examples of various types of exercisers and spirometers which have been developed include those depicted and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,958,565; 3,826,247; 3,720,202; 3,635,214; 3,810,461; and 4,025,070. A review of these references readily demonstrates the nature and development in the field under consideration.
In general, lung exercisers, sometime called respiratory exercisers or incentive spirometers are designed for purposes including the assistance of patients with lung problems due to lung deseases or possibly only weak lungs due to periods of inactivity in a hospital, for example. The types of devices vary, one type requires the patient to blow into the device, a second type of device requires the patient to inhale so that the device acts as a suction device. The devices are designed so that variability of calibration is possible to adjust for the relative strength or weakness of the patient and to measure recovery progress.